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Discussion GuiDeDisney HYPERION BOOKS

This guide was created by Rose Brock, a school librarian and doctoral candidate at

Texas Womans University, specializing in childrens and young adult literature.

Many more Discussion Guides can be found on the Disney Hyperion Books

Web site at: www.disneyhyperionbooks.com

Disney Hyperion Books114 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011

www.heroesofolympus.com

Book One The Heroes of Olympus

The Lost HeroHardcover

978-1-4231-1339-3$18.99

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About the BookJason has a problem. He doesnt remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently shes his girlfriend, Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and theyre all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for bad kids. Jason has no idea what he did to end up herebut everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that hes in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesnt recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. Whats troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a campers gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are allincluding Leorelated to a god.

Rick Riordan, the best-selling author of the Percy Jackson series, pumps up the action and suspense in The Lost Hero, the first book in The Heroes of Olympus series. Fans of demigods, prophesies, and quests will be left breathlessand panting for Book Two.

Gods in The Lost HeroAeolus: The Greek god of the winds. Roman form: Aeolus

Aphrodite: The Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was married to Hephaestus, but she loved Ares, the god of war. Roman form: Venus

Apollo: The Greek god of the sun, prophecy, music, and healing; the son of Zeus, and the twin of Artemis. Roman form: Apollo

Ares: The Greek god of war; the son of Zeus and Hera, and half-brother to Athena. Roman form: Mars

Artemis: The Greek goddess of the hunt and the moon; the daughter of Zeus and the twin of Apollo. Roman form: Diana

Boreas: The Greek god of the north wind, one of the four directional anemoi (wind gods); the god of winter; father of Khione. Roman form: Aquilon

Demeter: The Greek goddess of agriculture, a daughter of the Titans Rhea and Kronos. Roman form: Ceres

Dionysus: The Greek god of wine; the son of Zeus. Roman form: Bacchus

Gaea: The Greek personification of the Earth. Roman form: Terra

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Discussion Questions1 As the novel opens, Rick Riordan tells us that Jason woke in the backseat

of a school bus, not sure where he was, holding hands with a girl he didnt know. Predict what role Jasons confusion about who he really is will play in the novel.

2 The Lost Hero features a number of characters who exhibit a variety of strengths. Who most impresses you with his or her strength? Explain your choice.

3 Piper strives to make herself blend in, though Jason describes her as a seriously pretty. What are some of the reasons she prefers to remain unnoticed? What can be inferred about her personality?

4 The author uses some unusual first lines to introduce the chapters; which one of them is your favorite? For what reason?

5 Explain the significance of being claimed for demigods. What is it about this tradition that provides campers at Camp Half-Blood a sense of belonging?

6 Leo harbors a great deal of guilt about the death of his mother. Is this feeling warranted? Have you ever felt a responsibility for events that were beyond your control? How did you work past believing you were to blame?

Hades: According to Greek mythology, ruler of the Underworld and god of the dead. Roman form: Pluto

Hecate: The Greek goddess of magic; the only child of the Titans Perses and Asteria. Roman form: Trivia

Hephaestus: The Greek god of fire and crafts and of blacksmiths; the son of Zeus and Hera and married to Aphrodite. Roman form: Vulcan

Hera: The Greek goddess of marriage; Zeuss wife and sister. Roman form: Juno

Hermes: The Greek god of travelers, communication, and thieves; son of Zeus. Roman form: Mercury

Hypnos: The Greek god of sleep; the (fatherless) son of Nyx (Night) and brother of Thanatos (Death). Roman form: Somnus

Iris: The Greek goddess of the rainbow, and a messenger of the gods; the daughter of Thaumas and Electra. Roman form: Iris

Janus: The Roman god of gates, doors, doorways, and beginnings and endings.

Khione: The Greek goddess of snow; daughter of Boreas.

Notus: The Greek god of the south wind, one of the four directional anemoi (wind gods). Roman form: Favonius

Ouranos: The Greek personification of the sky. Roman form: Uranus

Pan: The Greek god of the wild; the son of Hermes. Roman form: Faunus

Pompona: The Roman goddess of plenty.

Poseidon: The Greek god of the sea; son of the Titans Kronos and Rhea, and brother of Zeus and Hades. Roman form: Neptune

Zeus: The Greek god of the sky and king of the gods. Roman form: Jupiter

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Classroom Connections READING, WRITING, AND RESEARCHING

As a prereading activity, have students complete an anticipation guide structured in the following manner:

Instruct students to complete the guide by placing a + sign in the box next to the statements with which they agree, and an 0 next to those with which they disagree. They must commit to agreement or disagreementthere are no conditional responses. Students should be assured that there are no correct or incorrect positions.

Once students have had the opportunity to complete the guide, the teacher reads each statement aloud and has students who agree show it by standing or raising their hands. Each student should be permitted to provide their rationale for agreeing if they wish.

7 Throughout the novel, the story is told by the alternating characters Jason, Piper, and Leo. In what ways does hearing these diverse perspectives benefit the story?

8 In many ways, The Lost Hero is a story about family. Explain the significance of family to each of the major characters.

9 Describe Jason, Piper, and Leo. What are three things that you find most (or least) appealing about each one of them?

10 Throughout the course of the novel, Jason learns that the world as they know it may never be the same again. In what ways will it be better or worse for them? Have you had an experience that reshaped your life? In what ways have you changed due to this incident?

11 Predict what influence the Roman gods will have on the decisions made by Jason, Piper, and Leo.

12 Using the phrase, This is a story about. . . , supply five words to describe The Lost Hero. Explain your choices.

Before After StAtementS reAding reAding

Relationships are always complicated.

There are consequences for every action an individual takes.

Fear always causes irrational behavior. If you know yourself well enough, you cannot be influenced by others.

Sacrificing yourself for someone you love is always a good idea.

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Social Studies ConnectionsAncient Greece and Ancient Rome are two of the most fascinating civilizations in world history. The lifestyle, architecture, and language were all reflections of the tremendous influence of the gods worshipped by the Greek and Roman people. In order to better understand the references to these historical periods in The Lost Hero, an examination of the periods themselves and the daily life of the Ancient Greeks and Romans is needed. According to interest, have students select one of the following aspects of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome to research. Topics to be considered include:

Political and economic activity Culture Religion Entertainment Intellectual achievements

Have students use the knowledge learned to create a Glogster digital poster at http://www.glogster.com/. After its creation, have students display and share the unique features of their posters with the class.

Though the Greek gods (and their Roman forms) are familiar to many, students are commonly unfamiliar with lesser-known gods and goddesses. Divide your class into pairs and have them research and develop a biographical presentation of a lesser-known deity from the Greco-Roman tradition.

Examples could include (but are not limited to) Nemesis, Salacia, Selene, Concordia, Pan, Fortuna, Alecto, Pax, Hecate, or Juventas. After the teams have selected their deity, have them research and identify the following basic facts about their chosen god: Name Origin Known for Little known fact about the god Notable members of the gods family tree

For students to better understand the historical settings of Greek and Roman mythology, divide them into groups and have them select, locate, and research the following historically significant places on a map of the Mediterranean world. After researching their selected places, have groups prepare a digital presentation (examples could include PowerPoint or Prezi [www.prezi.com]), that features the significant historical events for that location. Examples for significant historical events are listed in parentheses below.

Greek World Crete/Knossos (earliest Greek civilization, Labyrinth of King Minos)

MyCenae (kingdom of Agamemnon, leader of the expedition to Troy)

troy (in Anatolia, location of the Trojan Wars in Iliad)

athens and sparta (most powerful city-states of the Classical era)

delphi (site of Temple of Phoebus Apollo, home of the Oracle)

Mt. olyMpus (home of the gods)

olyMpia (site of the Statue of Zeus [one of the seven wonders of the ancient world] and home of the ancient Olympic Games)

Marathon (site of Athenian victory over the Persians, followed by famed run of Phidippides to carry the news to Athens)

therMopylae (site of stand by just over 300 Spartans against tens of thousands of Persian invaders)

alexandria (in Egypt; built by Alexander the Great, center of commerce and knowledge in the Mediterranean until the Roman conquest)

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The Arts ConnectionsCreate original art inspired by The LosT hero: Allow students to create one of the following as a means of exploring the novel.

Using a variety of mediums, create an original piece of art symbolic of one of the major themes of The Lost Hero (these may include but are not limited to the following: love, family, friendship, or loyalty).

Create a Wanted poster detailing the individual or creature you find most deserving of punishment for his transgressions in The Lost Hero. The poster should include the following features:

- Original mug shot (this can be original art or computer generated as long as the image accurately portrays the characters description in the novel)

- Detailed list of offenses - Reward information, if applicable

One of Riordans greatest strengths as a writer is his ability to offer richly descriptive scenes. In small groups, have students select a favorite scene from The Lost Hero and create either a digitally or manually illustrated graphic novel for that scene. Using a digital comic strip creator (http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/ or http://infinitecomic.com/ for example), have students begin by using the strips to create storyboards for their scene. Have students select original art, images, and graphics.

Alternatively, students could assume the roles of two of the characters with each ones personality and voice and have them interact with one another by creating an extension of a scene from one of the novels. As part of the evaluation component, consider panel size and number of panels, transitions and layouts, artwork, writing, and lettering.

Roman World roMe (capital city of the Republic and the Empire until fourth century a.d.)

etruria (modern Tuscany; kingdom of one of Romes parent civilizations, the Etruscans)

siCily (center of the Mediterranean world; site of Greek colonization and spread of Greek culture to Italy)

Carthage (in modern Tunisia; Romes greatest rival)

ostia (port for the city of Romeno longer exists, but was second only to Rome itself in its day)

Cannae (site of Hannibals victory over Roman legions, though it ultimately cost him the war)

Mt. VesuVius, poMpeii, and herCulaneuM (resort cities on the Gulf of Naples, destroyed by volcanic eruption)

lugdunuM and lutetia (key trade centers in Gaul; modern Lyon and Paris)

londiniuM (northernmost city in the Roman Empire; modern London)

hadrians Wall (boundary between Roman Britannia and Scotland)

byzantiuM (ancient Greek city that became site of the new Eastern Roman capital of Constantinople in fourth century a.d.)

raVenna (major trade center, became center of revival of Roman and Christian traditions after Roman Empires collapse)

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Language Arts ConnectionsmAkingmeAningByexploringtheStorySSetting:In The Lost Hero, the storys dynamic world helps set the stage for the characters as the action unfolds. Offer students the opportunity to explore the integral role the novels diverse settings play in the book by completing one of the following writing prompts:

In The Lost Hero, the complexities of the characters, their relationships, and the situations in which they find themselves provides students the opportunity to dig deep in the text as they examine and respond to the following challenge: compose an essay that analyzes the dynamics of loyalty and examines the consequences of unquestioned loyalty or betrayal using examples in the text.

Consider the variety of settings for The Lost Hero; why is each of these places important? Using the descriptions provided in the book, illustrate the four places you believe to be most important to the story. In addition to the illustrations, include a short explanation of the significance of each and why you believe each one is important.

The Lost Hero is rife with villainous gods, goddesses, and monsters. Select the one you find most terrifying and craft a short essay explaining what it is about this character that strikes fear in you. Be sure to consider and offer specific details from the novel about their past indiscretions/behaviors that make them so vile.

providingApoeticperSpective:hoStAgreekAndromAnfeASt!

Ancient peoples, from the Greeks to the Romans, had very simple diets that included bread, cooked cereals, vegetables, and occasionally bits of meat or fish. In that spirit, set up your own Greek and Roman feast! Begin by having students write a poem from a characters perspective. The poem may focus on the characters personality and role in the story, a major theme, or a major conflict experienced. It must demonstrate the changes the character made throughout the story. While composing the poem, consider:

Poetic device, form, and diction Must be textually accurate Poem must have a clearly defined voice Spelling and grammar must be correct Most, if not all, of the poem must be memorized

After students have crafted their poems, plan a literary banquet where each dresses in a costume that enhances his poem. At the banquet each student will perform his poem. Also, the food and drink needs a strong connection to the The Lost Hero. Provide students with examples, and encourage your guests to be creative in giving them a Roman identity (e.g., malted milk balls as quail eggs, pizza snacks as baked sheeps livers). Have groups rotate and sample one anothers fare, and do them the honor of washing it down with some Greek nectar (e.g., a favorite fruit drink or bottled water). Enjoy!

conSideringchArActer:hoStAmocktriAl

After reading The Lost Hero as a class, students will brainstorm crimes committed by characters from the novel. Have groups of students work together to act as the prosecution or defense for the selected characters, while also acting as the jury for other groups. Students will use several sources to research for their case, including the novel and Internet resources on judicial proceedings and roles of the members of a trial. All the while, students will be writing a persuasive piece to complement their trial work. Additional teaching resources for literary mock trials can be found at www.readwritethink.org.

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conSideringchArActercreAteAniAmpoemorABiopoem

The purpose of this strategy is to help students demonstrate knowledge of a character by following written prompts to complete a poem about the individual. Students can be given the prompts to follow on a work sheet or, alternatively, students may create an original slide show using PowerPoint or Movie Maker.

I AM Poem

FIRST STANZA: I am (name the character) I wonder (something the character is actually curious about) I hear (an imaginary sound the character might hear) I see (an imaginary sight the character might see) I want (something the character truly desires)

SECOND STANZA: I pretend (something the character actually pretends to do) I feel (a feeling about something imaginary) I touch (an imaginary touch) I worry (something that really bothers the character) I cry (something that makes the character very sad) I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

THIRD STANZA: I understand (something the character knows is true) I say (something that the character believes in) I dream (something the character might actually dream about) I try (something the character really makes an effort to do) I hope (something the character actually hopes for) I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

Biopoem

Line 1: First name

Line 2: Three traits that describe the character

Line 3: Relative of

Line 4: Lover of (three things)

Line 5: Who feels (three things)

Line 6: Who needs (three things)

Line 7: Who fears (three things)

Line 8: Who gives (three things)

Line 9: Who would like to see (three things)

Line 10: Resident of

Line 11: Last name

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Postreading ActivityStudents make connections between characters or events in The Lost Hero with people and events in their lives. After reading The Lost Hero, ask students to complete the chart considering the ways in which the story relates to their life and the world at large.

As I read The Lost Hero, I observed . . . As I read The Lost Hero, I wondered . . .

Sensory descriptions in The Lost Hero Some of the things I realized while (smell, hear, touch, sight, taste) reading The Lost Hero were. . .

included . . .

About the Author Rick Riordan spent fifteen years as a classroom teacher in public and private schools in California and Texas. In 1997, he began publishing mystery novels for adults. His popular Tres Navarre series for adults won the top three national awards in the mystery genrethe Edgar, the Anthony, and the Shamus. His best-selling series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, started as a bedtime story for his son. Rick Riordan now writes full time. He lives in San Antonio with his wife and two sons.

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Books by Rick Riordan Available wherever books are sold

Book Onethe Lightning Thief

Hardcover 978-0-7868-5629-9

$17.95Paperback

978-0-7868-3865-3 $7.99

Book Twothe Sea of Monsters

Hardcover 978-0-7868-5686-2

$17.95Paperback

978-1-4231-0334-9 $7.99

Book Threethe Titans Curse

Hardcover 978-1-4231-0145-1

$17.95Paperback

978-1-4231-0148-2 $7.99

Book Fivethe Last Olympian

Hardcover 978-1-4231-0147-5

$17.99Paperback

978-1-4231-0150-5 $7.99

Book Four

the Battle of the LabyrinthHardcover

978-1-4231-0146-8 $17.99

Paperback 978-1-4231-0149-9

$7.99

the Red PyramidHardcover

978-1-4231-1338-6 $17.99

Paperback 978-1-4231-1345-4

$8.99

Book Onethe Lightning Thief:

the graphiC noVelHardcover

978-1-4231-1696-7$19.99

Paperback 978-1-4231-1710-0

$9.99